Apparatus for cyaniding ores.



No. 830,615. PATENTED SEPT.11, 1906. I T. L. RANKIN.

APPARATUS FOR OYANIDING ORES.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 11.1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT onrron THQMAS L. RANKIN, OF SAGKET HARBOR, NEWYORK.

APPARATUS FOR OYANIDING ORES.

.To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, Tnomas L. RANKIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Saeket Harbor, in the county of Jefferson and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in A paratusfor Cyaniding' Ores, of which the fol 0wing is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The invention relates to that class of apparatus which is used in thetreatment of gold and silver ores by what .is known as the cyanidprocess of leaching, or causing the gold or silver to dissolve in asolution of cyanid and water.

The apparatus heretofore in use for leaching ores by the use of cyanogengas have been so constructed as to occasion a loss by evaporation ofpart of the gas from open tanks or carried off with the air passingthrough the ore, as applied in many instances. In such apparatus thisloss of gas has been coupled with the loss of ellieieney, thusincreasing the cost of the leaching. I

The objects of my invention are to construct an apparatus in such awayas to permit of leaching. the ores within much less time than hasheretofore been required and "to retain much of the cyanogengas whichhas heretofore gone to waste.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction of an apparatusin which the leaching-cylinders are adapted to retain com pressed air ofseveral atmospheres, if desired, during the leaching process, incombination with means for supplying thecompressed air and also withmeans for agitating the ores and liquids during the operation, thusbringing them into contact with an excess of oxygen for hastening theprocess, and in certain connections whereby the pressure may beequalized when the operation has been completed, and also connectionsfor exhaustin the leaching-eylinder to an extent that'wi 1 permit it tobe emptied and refilled, and the several operations repeated withoutunnecessary waste of gas oran esca e of it intothe surroundingatmos here0 the mill, all as hereinafter more ful y described, and pointed out inand by the claims hereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general arrangement orelevation showing twoleaching-cy inders, an absorption or storagecylinder, and a compressed-air cylinder with pipe and valve connections.Fig. 2 is av Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed-Juno 1], 1906- 801411110. 321,086.

rammed Sept. 11, 1am.

side view, partly in section, of'one of the leaching-cylinders, showingthe interior.

wooden lining and agitating-ribs, as well as certain other features ofconstruction and connections with the operating-gear anddriving-pulleys. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2, and shows the wooden lining in section andprojecting agitating-ribs on the interior by an end we In practice theapparatus is set up in what is called the mill, generally containing thecrusher, the rolls, and in refractory ores a roastin furnace, also alarge hopper to which t e ore is elevated and conveyed to a smallerhopper holding the number of tons required to charge a cylinder fortreatment. When the leaching-tank is ready to fill, the gate on thesmaller hopper holding the charge is opened and the ore allowed to flowthrough an open pipe to the leachingcylinder. The parts being common tomills of this character are not illustrated in the drawings; but in thedrawings, A A represent suitable supports for the shaft and journals" ofa drivingpulley B and idler B, and, as shown, the shaft of this pulleyis provided with a pinion a, meshing with a gear-wheel b, for impartingrotary motion to one of the leaching-cylinders C, which is suitablymounted on supports D D, and journaled at c d. The leachmg-cylinders Care constructed with a shell of steel or iron and lined with woodenstaves or strips e, fitted and wedged on the interior, and also haswooden ends or heads f inside of the wooden lining.

In order to properly agitate the liquid and contained ore, the lining ofthe cylinder is provided with a series of hard-wood strips 9, which arebent or curved spirally to fit the interior of the cylinder, to whichthey are secured by nailing or otherwise. These strips g start from eachend of the cylinder, but stop short of the center, which is free toallow the solution and ore to pass out more thoroughly and readily whenthe contents are being dumped or emptied by opening the manhole E androtating the cylinder. The cylinder C is charged through the manhole bya pipe leading from the small hopper made to hold a charge of ore justsuflieient for any size of cylinder that may be desired. This cylinderis charged both with ore and cyanid solution; but a space equal to sixor eight cubic feet to each ton of ore is reserved in the cylinder forthe purpose of being charged.

ICC

with compressed air and supplying an excess of oxy en. When the cylinderis properly charge the manhole E 1s closed and made fast, theconstruction-being such as to prevent leakage.

A vertical storage-tank F, suitably located, is shown as being placed ona support G and connected by pipes with one or more leaching-cylinders,two such being shown. This vertical tank F has about four inches ofspace at the bottom, above which is a large screen h, and on top of thisscreen there is placed three or four feet of rubble rock for the purposeof breaking the rush of the gas up through the water 1n such tank and tohold the gas sufficiently long in contact with the water to cause itsabsorption therein; but the tank F has a small pi e that it may beopened? The pipe '5 extends up through the roof of the building for thetot tank F also has a manhole o ened or closed for pur t e-' interiorand placing t e rock and for'filling, &c.

and from the open space there is a pipe k, which has a valve Z, by whichthe water may be drawn from the tank. It

also has a pipe m, having a'valve n, and this pipe leadsto another pipe0, which connects with one or more of the leaching-cylinders.

valves 1) p, closed as against either one of the cylinders C C andcommunication has connection by cylinders C C, one of such flexibletubes being provided with a valve 1", and the cylinders ave unions 8 s,with the valves t t for connecting and disconnecting with the flexible gand through the pipes and inlets to:

tubes the ot er tanks or cylinders. The pipe'u, leads up from the pipe 0and connects with, the top of a com this pipe has a va p of any degreeof pressure desired, usually sevtions made with the unions 8 s thevalves t ti with a valve 7', so

purpose of permitting the foul air to escapev e outer atmosphere and tomake room for additional fresh air at each charge. This H, which may be'oses of getting at 1 values in the old ans At the bottom of the tank F,leading to below the screen,;

ing simultaneously,

The pipe 0 is .shown as connecting with'two' leaching-cylinders and alsoprovided with by which the connection-maybe made through the; valve n tothe storage-tank F. The pipe 0' flexible tubes g g with the ressed-aircylinder I, and ve v for making connection with such air-cylinder,.whlch receives com-- the compressed-i air cylinder is kept filled withcompressed air and such other valves as may be necessar are then opened,and the compressed air is a mitted to the space allowed for that urposewithin the leaching-cylinder, an when properly charged with compressedair the valves t t and such others as maybe necessary are closed, theflexible tubes removed, and the cylinder started. The rotation of thecyltwenty revolutions er minute-and the 1ground ore containe in the liuid is tumled by the revolutions of the cy inder, and is brought up bthe agitating-ribs intosuch contact with t e compressed air contained inthe cylinder as to cause such compressed air to impinge the liquid,cyanogen gas, and all particles of ore with it in such a positive manneras to cause a quick solution of any gold or silvencontained in the ore.The usual time for operation by this method is about one-hour, while inthe ordinary way'from six hours to three days have been re uired inorderto causea pro er solution of-t e ore inthe cyano en as an liquidcontained in the leaching-0y in er, and there is a less When the leachin-cylinder has beenin rotation the re uiref or allotted time, it isstopped, and t e flexible pipes are again connected, and the valves t.tare opened to allow the e ress of the excess of as to the cylinder F were both cylinders 0 are. operator if operating nately equalization ofthe pressure is made by connecting with the cylinder next to start, andthis saves about one-half of the compression of air required for itsoperation. After the equalization has taken lace the valve leading tothe cylinder to which the gas escaped 1s closed and proper conriectionmade with the exhaust-pump, which is then set in operation and umps outthe remaining compressed air and gas, delivering it up through thereserve or absorbing cylinder contains fresh water for taking up that asand for permitting the escape of the'fou ed air to the outsideatmosphere. When the air and gas have been exhausted from the leachingcylinder, the manhole is then opened and the cylinder made to revolveand dump the contents into a trou h that leads to one of thefiltering-tanks. T e water containing gas saved by exhausting andstoring in the tank F is subsequently used in adding to the standardsolutiontank-thus savingin the water the gas so absorbed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire-tosecureby Letters Patent, is

1. In ap aratus for cyaniding ores, a

'rotary leac ing-cylinder adapted to retain compressed air during theoperation of. leachmg and means for supplying compressed air to saidcylinder, and

inder is usually slow-say from twelve tomeans for rotating said r30 thatare brought into ,touch 19 ercentage of recovery-of slow process ofleaching.

alter- ICC F, which cylinder in combination with a second cylinder forreceiving the excess of compressed air and contained gas from saidleaching-cylinder, and means for equalizing the pressure between saidcylinders.

2. In apparatus for cyaniding ores, a rotary leaching-cylinder adaptedto retain compressed air during the operation of leaching and means forsupplying compressed air to said cylinder, in combination with acylinder for receiving the excess of compressed air and gas contained insaid leaching-cylinder, an equalizing-pipe having a valve for equalizingthe pressure between said tanks and means for exhausting air and gasesfrom said leaching-cylinder.

3. In apparatus for cyaniding ores, a retary leaching-cylinder adaptedto hold a cyanid solution and retain compressed air during the leaching,means for supplying compressed air to said cylinder, means for rotatingsaid cylinder for agitating the ore and bringing the same into contactwith the compressed air and cyanid solution, a cylinder for receivingthe excess of compressed air, means for exhausting compressed air andgases from said leaching-cylinder and a tank or receiving the air andgases exhausted from said leaching-cylinder. I

4. In apparatus for cyaniding ores, the combination of a rotaryleaching-cylinder, means for supplying compressed air to said cylinderprior to leaching and for retaining such supply during leaching, tatingthe ore, a second cylinder and means for transferring the excess ofcompressed air to said second cylinder prior to emptying saidleaching-cylinder.

5. In apparatus for cyaniding ores, the combination of a rotaryleaching-cylinder adapted to hold a cyanid solution and retain vcompressed air during leachil'ig, said cylinder being provided with awooden lining and spiral wooden ribs starting at each end andterminating short of the center of said cylinder, and means forsupplying compressed air to said cylinder.

6. In apparatus for leaching ores, the combination of a rotaryleaching-cylinder adapted to hold the ore and treating solution and toretain compressed air during the leaching, means for supplying com)ressed air to said leaching-cylinder, detachable connections betweenthe air-supply means and said cylinder and spiral agitators within saidcylinder for bringing the ore and treatingsolution into contact with thecompressed air during treatment.

means for agi-- 7. In apparatus for leaching ores, the combination of aleaching-cylinder, adapted to retain compressed air during leaching,spiral agitators for impinging the ore and compressed air duringleaching, a storage-receptacle containing a liquid and adapted toreceive compressed air and gases from said leachin -eylinder, andconnections whereby the foe ed air and the gases may be transferred fromsaid leaching-cylinder, and the air permitted to escape.

8. In apparatus for leaching ores, the combination ofa rotaryleaching-cylinder adapt- .ed to retain compressed air during leaching,

means for supplying compressed air to sai cylinder, a storage-receptacleadapted to contain a liquid for receiving gases from saidleaching-cylinder prior to leaching, and means for exhausting fouled airand gases from said leaching-cylinder and transferring them to saidstorage-receptacle.

9. In apparatus for leaching ores, the combination of two-or more rotaryleaching-cylinders adapted to retain compressed air during leaching,connections for equalizing the pressure between said leaching-cylinders,a storageqeceptacle having connections with the severalleaching-cylinders and adapted to contain a liquid for taking up gasestransferred from said cylinders, and means for exhausting andtransferring fouled air and gases from said leaching-cylinders to saidstorage-receptacle.

10. In apparatus for leaching ores, the combination of two ormore'leaching-c'ylinders. adapted to retain compressed air duringleaching, said cylinders being provided with spiral agitators, means forsupplying com-- pressed air to said cylinders and connections wherebythe excess of compressed air and gases may be exhausted from saidcylinder afterleaching and the gases preserved for further use.

11. In apparatus for leaching ores, the coi'nbination of aleaching-cylinder adapted to retain compressed air during leaclnng, a

'storage-rece itacle provided with a screen and obstructing substanceson one side of said screen, connections between sa1dlcacl1- ing-cylinderand said storage-receptacle on the other side of said screen, and meansfor exhausting and transferring fouled air and gases from saidleaching-cylinder to said storage-receptacle.

THOMAS L. RANKIN; Witnesses Enwann I). C. SPERRY,

Faun S. SHEPIIARD.

